Marion County officials recently learned they will get $1 million in unexpected federal money that comes with none of the usual restrictions.

Polk County will get an extra $142,000.

The money comes through a provision of the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion-dollar federal measure approved in 2021.

One element of the legislation set aside $750 million to go to select counties over two years, beginning in 2022.

Marion County officials learned of the money late September and have yet to plan how to spend it. They will also get the money in two installments of $500,000 by the end of 2023.

The U.S. Treasury Department is in charge of handing out the money to counties with significant land owned by the federal government. The Treasury Department explains on its website that counties “may treat these funds in a similar manner to how they treat funds generated from their own revenue.

Jonathan Shuffield of the National Association of Counties said counties can seek the funds with an online application and get the money in four to five business days. He described the money as a “significant windfall” for counties.

Oregon counties will get $113 million over the next two years. Malheur County ties with Klamath County for the most to be received, with each getting $12 million. Over two years, Baker County will get $6.5 million, Harney County $4.54 million and Grant County $4.36 million.

Shuffield said the special county payment was engineered by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. He said Wyden got language in the American Rescue Plan to fund the payments and subsequently worked with the Treasury Department.

He said that counties qualified if they receive what are called Payment in Lieu of Taxes ­– a federal payment to counties that have significant portions owned by the federal government. He said the Treasury Department then used a formula that assessed factors in each county, ranging from historic unemployment to child poverty to household incomes.

“This federal investment in rural Oregon and all parts of our state is timely and welcome news as counties work on their communities’ needs to support roads, schools and more that all add up to a quality of life families and small businesses depend on,” Wyden said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, joined all Republicans in the House in voting against the American Rescue Plan last year.

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